Texas Tech is set for a matinee matchup with Oklahoma State on Saturday, televised on ESPN+.

The Red Raiders sit at 6-4 (4-3) on the season while the Cowboys have dropped their last seven games, all of which come in the Big 12 conference, but the Red Raiders aren't taking them lightly ahead of their trip to Stillwater because an 0-7 conference record is slightly misleading for the talent on the roster.

"Experience at quarterback, he's played a lot of football. He has weapons. They've got a vet offensive line. We've got to do a good job of run fit because Ollie (Gordon II) is a really good football player," head coach Joey McGuire said. "I think it's really important to get a fast start. I think whenever you're coming off a loss like we've had, and coming off a loss like they've had, it's going to be the team that wants to play the most, that's most excited to play on Saturday."

The Red Raiders are looking to finish the season strong after dropping a tough one against Colorado before the bye week with a chance to have an eight win regular season for the first time since 2009, hoping to build momentum as McGuire continues to build his program despite the frustration of the past two weeks.

"Y'all heard me say this a million times, and I'm just frustrated. I live it every day, this is my life. So I get the frustration. I appreciate it," McGuire said. "I really appreciate it, because we're lucky at a place that we have such a passionate fan base. I understand the frustration."

"I also understand that getting eight wins, hadn't been done since 2009...whenever I say that, it's not good enough, right? We all know that it's not good enough. I am here to win the Big 12, it's not good enough. But to grow this program and push it forward. It's really important our guys understand how important this week is. I think you're going to see that on Saturday, on how hard we play, of how important this game is to get seven wins."

The Red Raiders fell short of the goal to seriously compete for a Big 12 championship in 2024 but Tech still has the opportunity to push the program forward over the next two weeks.

Another key over the next two weeks for Tech is that the Red Raiders may see some youth inserted into the lineup as the majority of the young players on Tech's roster will be able to maintain their red-shirt while playing the remaining games as Tech is looking for a spark to be more consistent offensively.

"I expect to see Kelby Valsin in the game on Saturday. We'll have some stuff for him. He's had some really, really good scrimmages, so maybe some different packages I could see him. You know, we're hoping that Micah (Hudson) is able to go. We'll see as the week goes, because I'd like to see him as a punt returner," McGuire said. "If not, it's going to be against West Virginia, because we feel like we should be able to get him back by then."

McGuire also mentioned Nick Fattig and Jacob Ponton as options for players who may see some more playing time, which could be brought on by Tech's lack of consistent offense and ability to run the ball against the Buffaloes in early November.